Line fastening device



June 28, 1960 F. w. JOHNSON LINE FASTENING DEVICE INVENTOR. F'iM/VK M film/SON 6&0 9 4? Filed April 17, 1959 nit-6d a s Pa ent 2,942,315 v LINEFASTENING DEVICE Frank W. Johnson, 4729 Merilee Drive, Hopkins, Filed Apr. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 807,130

3 Claims. 01. 24-134 This invention relates generally to devices for tighten- .ing lines of various types and for securely connecting the line to other objects. a

A primary object of the invention is-to provide'a new and improved device for simultaneous gripping a line and providing an openable attachment means for connecting the line to another object, said device being normally. retained in gripping condition by tensionon the line" itself, and having a single control means for releasing the line and opening the attachment means.

With this and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises a housing integrally carrying an open mouthed hook, a clamping cam pivotally mounted in the housing for movement between. a gripping and a releasing position with respect to a line running through the housing, a keeper member having a tongue and pivoted to the housing for movement of the, tongue betweenopening and closing positions with respect tothe mouth of the hook, a control handle on the clamping cam, and the clamping cam and keeper member being interengageable 9 whereby the tongue will be moved to its hook opening position responsive to handle operation of the carnto its 5 v Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the device in the condition showninFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the device v 2,942,315- 7 Patented June 28, 1960 'ice bore 15 in open communication with chamber 14. The

interior top and bottom walls of chamber 14 are respectively denoted at 17 and 16. An internal groove 18 is formed in the housing lower end portion between bore 15 and the wall 16 to receive a cable or rope such as designated at R. Also; a small socket 19 is provided in the lower portion of the housing opening into chamber 14 through the wall 16. Near the upper end thereof the body portion is provided with a deep slot 20 which is in open communication withthe chamber 14 through chamber wall 17. This slot 20 forms a reduced extension of the chamber 14 at the upper end thereof in fore and aft alignment with the hook 12. I A pivot pin 21 extends transversely across the chamber 114; with its ends mounted in the side walls of the housing 10. A clamping member or cam designated generally at 22 is mounted on the pivot pin in a transversely centered position. A'keeper member, designated generally at 24, is also journaled on pin 21 having portionsreceiving the pin on opposite sides of member 22.

Clamping member 22 is a fiat plate havingthe generalplan configuration of an enlarged comma such as usedin writing or printing with a rounded main portion 25 (Fig. 4) and a tail or handle 27. The member 22 is provided with a cable seating groove along a portion of the periphery thereof opposing groove 18 and which connects with serrated edge portion 26 which in turn extends to the handle 27. V 1 Y r In its bottom side the cam member is provided with a pocket or recess 28 through which pin 21 extends (Fig. 4). It isgalso provided in the same area with a pair of transversely aligned laterally projecting cars 29 which are of such limited length as to lie within the chamber 14. A wire spring 30 is disposed within the pocket 28 encircling pin 21 with one end resting against the upper wall of the recess 28 and the other end held in socket 19 of-the housing so as to-yieldably retain theclamp member in the position shown-in-Fig 4 with-handle 27 directed rearwardly. Guard, or keepermember 24.is generally U-shaped with thebig'ht portion formed by a wall 31 adapted to rest fiush against the chamber wall 17. .The side walls or legs 32 of the keeper extend downwardly in chamber 14 and are provided with. aligned apertures for re ception '1 of-pin. 21. The journaled end portions of legs v32 are housing taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l and showing the internal clamping and keeper members in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through all components of the device taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the clamping and keeper members moved to a rope releasing position allowing the rope to be pulled through the device and the hook to be disengaged.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings reference characters will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The housing for the device is a casting denoted generally at 10 having an elongated body portion 11 with a book 12 integrally formed at one end to extend outwardly and back along the body portion in spaced relation thereto as shown in Fig. 2 so that the hook has an open mouth disposed between the end thereof and the body of the housing. The hooked end of the housing may for purposes of convenience be referred to as the upper end. The body of the housing has an elongated chamber 14 formed therein and opening through what may be referred to as the front and rear of the body portion as respectively viewed in Figs. 1 and 5. The lower end of the housing opposite rounded as at 34 (Fig. '6) so as to conform to the rounded portion 25 of the clamping member. These side walls 32 also have their rear edges cut away as at 35 to allow the cars 29 to extend into the planes of the legs 32. This cut away portion forms a shoulder 36 at the lower end of each leg which faces car 29 and which is equally spaced radially speaking with the ear so that ear 29 and the corresponding shoulder 36 are interengageable.

At its-upper end the keeper member 24- carries a tongue 37 which extends upwardly from wall 31 into the slot 20 and forwardly toward hook 12 to substantially close the open mouth of the hook formed between the hook and the body portion of the housing. Keeper 24 is movable about pivot 21 between a forward closed position, suchas shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, with portion 31 resting against wall 17 and an open position shown in Fig. 6 with tongue 37 retracted and abutting against the end of slot 20.

Operation of the device will now be readily under-- wardly through chamber Ifbetween the keeper wall 31 and-the serrated surface 26 on the member 22; To faeili tate threading the line R through the device the members 22 and are held in the position Shown in Fig. 6 against tension of sprin er at this" condition the spacin je'j tween surface 26 and wall 31, is reater than he d of-line Rt" When' handle 27 is now released the clamp member will pivotito'ward the position'sh o'wn Fi x t witlisur face 26 moving the lineR upwardly away from the'pivot against wall 31 and thus pivoting the keeper't'o thei'clo s'ed position shown in Fig. 4 with'tongue 3,7 lockingthe book 12 on ring '0 or any similar objectmounted 'o'n'the member to which the line R is to be attached. Beeau's'e line is now clamped between themembeif 22 and 'keeperj portion 31 it willbe obvious that a'ny pull on the line a downward directionwill tend to further'close the clamp increasing the grip on line R. The device accordingly securely'c onne cts the'rope to ring'C at the desired adjusted length, the tension on lineR'prohibiting' any loosening of the grip on the line. Even whentension an line R'is removed or is intermittent, the spring 30'w ill"rnain t'ain the clamp member 22 in a closed or locked position. "when itis desired to loosen line R or to disconnect it from ring C the housing is grasped 'a nd' handle27 is pressed forwardly pivoting member, 22 in an opening direction'to release its grip on the line and to allow the lineto' slip freely throughthe housing. With continued operation of'handle 27 a clamp opening direction the ears"2 9 will'engage shoulders 36 on the keeper 24pivotkeeper tothe position shown in Fig. 6'with tongue wwammwn for removal 'of hook 12- from theringfC. Opening movement of members 22 and 24 is limited respective'ly by engagemento'f han'dle2 7 and tongue 37 with portions of the housing. 1 'i will thus be understood that the device'is so constructed that the tension on line R assures both a firm grip efthe device on the line and closure of hook 12. Hovvever, when it desired to disconnect orlooseri the line both the clamping and keeper members are opened simultaneously by operation of the handle 27. The device ac cerdingly economically and eflectiyely carries out the aforementioned objectives.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed provided that su'ch 'modifications come within the spirit and scope of th PPPfided s; Having now therefore fully illustratedand decr1b ed my invention, what I claiin to be new and desire a; protect by United States Letters Patent 155 f 1. A line fastening'device comprising a housing having an open mouthed hook formed at one end thereof, saidhousing having an'opening extending therethrough for receiving a flexible cable member, a clamp member disposed within the opening" and pivoted to the housing for pivotal movement between cable clamping and releasing positions, a keeper member having a tongue and disposed within the opening and pivoted to the housing coaxially with the clamp member for movement between a first position with the tongue extending across the open mouthof the hook and a second position with the ensile r tra e from e res a d m hwse q am member and keeper mernben having facing stops equally spaced radially from said pivot axis and cir'cumferentially positioned to be interengageable as the clamp member is moved from its clampingto'its'releasing position whereby the clamp member as it is pivoted to its releasing position will move the keeper member from its first to its second position.

2: A device'fo'r fastening a line to an anchor element comprising an elongatedhous'ing having upperandlower ends and front and rear sides, a hook at' the upper end ofthe""housing extending over the housing front for receiving'the anchor element and-having a downwardly opening mouth, the housinghaving an internal chamber opening through the front" and rear-sides thereof, a pivot pin mounted on the housing to extend transversely through thechamb'er, a clamping cam journaled on the pin' and'havin'g a' rearwardly projecting handle, said cam having a gripping surface along its upper edge, a keeper journaled on th'e pin and having a tongue portion exteiidingupwardly and forwardly to close'said opening,' said keepe'rhaving' a wall portion disposed above said cam "surface in spaced opposing relation thereto for"-disp'osition of -'a line between'saidwall portion and cam surface, and spring ineans disposed between the h'ousing'aind cam' urging thecam toward said w'allportion to clamp the line therebetween.

" 3;The subject matter of claim 2 wherein the cam is provided with 'a laterally projecting lug engageable with the keeper at a point offset from the pivot axis 'as the cam handle is moved downwardly to move said tongue por tion of the 'keper'rea'rwardly to open the mouth of the I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 103,283 Bell May 24, 1870 332,619 Moles Dec. 15, 1885 4671815 Kent" Jan. 26, 1892 537,332 Wittmann Aprx9, 1895 

